Microplastic pollution is a pervasive global problem that needs solving, and new research has shown that some plant extracts could be part of the solution.
Soaking okra and fenugreek seeds in water produces sticky natural polymers. A recent study published by the American Chemical Society said these can remove up to 90% of microplastics from ocean water, freshwater, and groundwater, according to Phys.org.
Our society has an unhealthy attachment to plastic products. We produce over 507 million tons of plastic each year, and half of it is designed for single-use purposes. A report by the United Nations said that there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050.
Microplastics are pieces that are less than 5 millimeters long. They can now be found everywhere — from remote lakes to even our own brains.
Given the severity of the problem, new removal methods are emerging regularly, with the best being natural and nontoxic.
Researcher Rajani Srinivasan and colleagues from Tarleton State University in Texas spoke about filtering freshwater and ocean water with okra and fenugreek plant extracts in 2022, but now they've optimized the process in various types of water, the report explained.
The plants were soaked, and the sticky plant polymers were dried to create powdered versions of the extracts for testing.
The study showed that 1 gram of either powder in 1 quart of water was the most effective solution. Dried okra extracts removed 67% of microplastics in one hour, fenugreek removed 93% during the same period, and a mixture of equal parts reached 70% efficiency after just 30 minutes.
Various water samples from Texas were then tested. Okra performed the best in ocean water (80%), fenugreek was best suited for filtering groundwater (80%-90%), and an equal mixture of the two proved best for freshwater at 77% efficiency.
Their hypothesis is that the water samples may have had different types, sizes, and shapes of microplastic pollution, which means further study may be warranted.
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Energy independence ⚡ Access to clean drinking water is a universal necessity, yet reports show that as many as 4.4 billion people still lack it.
Wastewater and desalination plants remove salt and pollutants to increase the available supply of potable water, and adding more natural components to the process could only help.
Polyacrylamide is a synthetic polymer used to remove contaminants during wastewater treatment, but the report noted that okra and fenugreek extracts could offer biodegradable and nontoxic alternatives.
"Utilizing these plant-based extracts in water treatment will remove microplastics and other pollutants without introducing additional toxic substances to the treated water," said Srinivasan in the report, "thus reducing long-term health risks to the population."
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